1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trash liner which is used in a trash container, the trash liner having tie strips which are used both to secure the top of the liner to the top of the trash container, and to tightly close the liner when it is full and ready to be removed from the container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Plastic bags have been used for decades to dispose of trash in a sanitary manner, and to prevent trash containers from becoming soiled and contaminated by trash. They are used in a variety of applications, and come in different sizes and colors. There are specialized bags for carrying, covering, and containing all sorts of waste. Some may be tightly closed, but few can be secured to containers without premature collapsing. The present invention is the combination of a trash container with a bag, preferably made of plastic, for lining the trash container, having a single tie strip, also preferably made of plastic, passing through a single tubular channel at the top of the bag. The tie strip is used both to secure the top of the bag to the top of a trash container, and to tightly close the bag when it is full and ready to be removed from the trash container.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,941,871, issued on Jan. 2, 1934, to Oscar I. Struve, discloses a liner for waste containers, having a plurality of flaps passing over the edge of the opening of a waste container, with rings at ends of the flaps, through which a drawstring is inserted. The flaps may be drawn together to close the liner by lifting the drawstring, when the liner is full and ready to be removed from the waste container. The liner of the instant invention is distinguishable, in that it can be retained on a waste container without the use of flaps, and its tie strip passes through a single tubular channel rather than through a plurality of rings.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,092,969, issued on Sep. 14, 1937, to Arthur Gustafson, Edward Johnson, and Thor Ahlin, discloses a garbage can liner, similar to a rectangular paper bag, having a plurality of apertures around its open end for venting air from the garbage can when the liner is inserted. The liner of the instant invention is distinguishable, in that it has a single tubular channel, rather than a plurality of apertures, and a tie strip passing through the channel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,159,192, issued on May 23, 1939, to Ernest Russell Werdin, discloses a garbage can liner, with a neck band having longitudinal notches and holes through with a cord is threaded. The liner of the instant invention is distinguishable, in that it has a single tubular channel rather than a plurality of holes, and it does not require a neck band with a plurality of notches.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,135,458, issued on Jun. 2, 1964, to Herbert H. Steuart, discloses a waste collecting bag for plumbers, having an opening, with a seam on only one portion of the opening. A cord is inserted through the seam to tie the bag to a pipe, so that a clean-out rod can be inserted through the other portion of the bag's opening that remains open. The instant invention is distinguishable, in that in it the liner is used in combination with a trash container in which it is placed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,570, issued on Apr. 9, 1985, to Jeffrey Eby and George Spector, discloses an elastic top trash bag, which a hem going all the way around its opening, and an elastic band inside the hem. The liner of the instant invention is distinguishable, in that its tubular channel has opposite openings, and its tie strip has opposite ends that may be tied together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,189, issued on Nov. 22, 1988, to Kevin Broderick et al., discloses a draw tape bag, with two separate tubular channels around its opening, and two separate draw tapes, each of which goes all the way around the opening and passes through both channels. There are gaps between the channels on opposite sides of the bag, and in each gap one of the draw tapes has both of its opposite ends. The liner of the instant invention is distinguishable, in that it has only one tubular channel and only one tie strip. This simpler and more economical arrangement makes it easier to secure the trash liner around the rim of the trash container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,607, issued on Jul. 3, 1990, to Patrick W. Kelley, discloses a sack-forming sheet, with a plurality of peripheral hems through which a draw tape passes. The draw tape is a continuous loop. The liner of the instant invention is distinguishable, in that it has only one tubular channel and it has a tie strip with opposite ends that can be tied together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,994, issued on Feb. 5, 1991, to Edward S. Gelbard, discloses nested plastic bags, in which a drawstring may be threaded through a plurality of holes around the bags' openings to retain the bags on the rim of a trash container. The liner of the instant invention is distinguishable, in that it has a single tubular channel for its tie strip, rather than a plurality of holes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,607, issued on Jul. 28, 1992, to Douglas D. Bonke, discloses a plastic liner bag with an elastic top tie strip, with two separate hems on opposite sides of the bag's opening. The elastic tie strip is a continuous loop. The liner of the instant invention is distinguishable, in that it has a single tubular channel, its tie strip has opposite ends that can be tied together, and its tie strip need not be elastic. The instant invention is also distinguishable, in that in it the rim of the trash container is not completely covered by the liner, because there is a notch in the edge of the liner, through which air can be vented.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,141, issued on May 25, 1993, to Ira S. Dorman, discloses a debris collection and disposal system, including a vented collapsible bag having a tie strip threaded through a sleeve around the bag's mouth. The bag is vented by an array of small holes that perforate its body. The liner of the instant invention is distinguishable, in that it is not perforated by an array of holes, and thus will be able to retain small particles and fluids. In the preferred embodiment of the instant invention, air is vented through an U-shaped opening, that is not disclosed in Dorman. Also, in the preferred embodiment, there are two openings in the tubular channel, but Dorman discloses only one opening in the sleeve.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.